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Lackawanna County has collected $7.3 million in delinquent real estate taxes through its judicial sale process over the past three years.

That figure will grow in the coming weeks as county officials prepare for the 2014 judicial sale on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. at the courthouse.

Tax Claim Bureau Deputy Director Ron Koldjeski said his office hopes to collect at least $1 million as owners whose properties are due to be sold settle up their delinquencies in advance of the sale to get the properties out of the auction.

As of last week, the bureau had already received more than $100,000 in prepayments.

"We're still over a month out, so I really think we're going to be close (to $1 million) before we go to sale," Mr. Koldjeski said.

More than 400 properties owing more than $4 million in delinquent taxes are currently listed for the sale.

The full list is available on the Tax Claim Bureau page at the county website, www.lackawannacounty.org, where property owners and potential buyers can also find more information about the judicial sale process.

During a judicial sale, tax-delinquent properties are auctioned free and clear of all past encumbrances, including mortgages, judgments, liens and back taxes.

Mr. Koldjeski said about 75 percent of the properties that will be offered for sale next month have been delinquent for just two years. Others have delinquencies dating back to 1993 or earlier.

"A lot of them were old coal company land and some railroad land, things like that," he said.

Last year, the county sold 121 properties at the judicial sale, but the owners of 134 other properties paid their delinquent taxes prior to the sale.

Mr. Koldjeski said the intent of the sale is to prod property owners to pay their back taxes and, failing that, get the properties into the hands of new owners who will stay current on the taxes. "We'd rather have the money than sell the properties," he said.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com

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